Free-roaming domestic cats kill billions of birds and small mammals annually, creating a significant wildlife welfare impact that can be substantially reduced through owner interventions without restricting cat welfare.
The welfare impact of cat predation on wild birds and mammals is enormous in scale, affecting billions of individual animals annually. The suffering of prey animals caught by cats — often played with for extended periods before death — represents a genuine welfare concern. The good news is that proven interventions exist that substantially reduce predation without meaningfully harming cat welfare. Indoor management with enrichment, Birdsbesafe collars, and catio enclosures maintain cat welfare while dramatically reducing wildlife mortality. Owner education is the primary barrier, as many owners underestimate their cat's predation impact.